China, Philippines agree on 'provisional arrangement' for South China Sea resupply missions, Manila says
recasts, adds Philippine foreign ministry statement
MANILA, July 21 (Reuters) -The Philippines and China have "reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement" for resupply missions to a beached naval ship in the South China Sea, Manila's foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) did not provide details on the arrangement for the Philippines' resupply missions to the Sierra Madre in the Second Thomas Shoal.
But it said it followed "frank and constructive discussions" between the two sides at the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism earlier this month.
"Both sides continue to recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and agree that the agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea," the DFA said.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on a weekend.
Manila deliberately beached the Philippine naval ship in 1999 to reinforce its claims over disputed waters around the shoal and it has since maintained a small contingent of sailors.
Philippine security officials also said on Sunday it will carry out the resupply missions on its own despite an offer from the United States for help.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday the U.S. "will do what is necessary" to ensure its treaty ally can resupply the Sierra Madre on the Second Thomas Shoal.
Sullivan's Filipino counterpart, Eduardo Ano, said the resupply will remain "a pure Philippine operation".
"There is no need at this time for any direct involvement of U.S. forces in RORE (resupply) mission," Ano said in a statement.
Reuters previously reported that the Philippines turned down offers from the United States to assist its operations in the South China Sea.
Tensions in the disputed waterway have boiled over into violence in the past year, with a Filipino soldier losing a finger last month in a clash that Manila described as an "intentional-high speed ramming" by the China Coast Guard.
The Philippine military's spokesperson said in a separate statement on Sunday that the Philippines "will exhaust all means before seeking foreign intervention" in its resupply missions.
Manila and Washington are bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, a pact that can be invoked in case of an armed attack against Philippine forces, public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea. U.S. officials including President Joe Biden have affirmed its "ironclad" commitment to aid the Philippines.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, overlapping maritime claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. In 2016, a Hague-based tribunal said China's claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.
Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Tom Hogue and Hugh Lawson
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
